Photos by John Cross
Travis Culbert reaches back before launching his driver during a round of disc golf at Land of Memories Park.
MANKATO — They show up to the course late in the afternoon, most wearing flip-flops on their feet and a few with their shirts on.
Some are pulling coolers behind them — "Just get a 12-pack and go," one player says — while others are slightly more serious about the game.
If the golf comedy "Caddyshack" was billed as the slobs vs. the snobs, disc golf just takes the latter out of the equation completely.
"Poor man's golf," says Matt Oachs, who played his very first round of the game last week at Mankato's Land of Memories Park.
Oachs flung the lone disc in his arsenal toward the target and watched it slice into a circle of trees, leaving him with a tough lie.
"I was going to hit some real golf balls this afternoon," he said. "But this is a fun game."
And it's not just a poor man's sport.
Disc golf has grown to the point where the hard-core players have multiple options to toss at the target, depending on their shot.
While some players say only two discs are needed to play a round, serious players have several options, depending on what kind of shot they have.
While there are three classes of disc — driver, mid-range and putter — some players use 10 discs or more, carrying them in bags that look more like soft-sided lunch pails than sports equipment.
And those aren't your average Wham-O Frisbees or souvenirs from the Fun Days parade we're talking about.
Discs can cost as much as $20 apiece and come in various weights, colors and designs.
Scheels' Aaron Hoehn said the sporting goods store has about 600 discs on display.
"We find a lot of people coming in who have done research," Hoehn said. "It's just like regular golf that way."
Chris Marr, a Minnesota State University student, agreed.
"I'm sure there are Frisbee golfers that think it's crazy to carry 14 golf clubs in your bag," said Marr, who played the Land of Memories course with a driver and a putter.
"You only need two," said Marr's playing partner, Nate Pieper.
Hoehn said Scheels sells a starter set that includes the three basic discs.
Raymond Peterson closes out a hole at the Land of Memories disc golf course with a putt.
Jeremy Hutchens uses four discs. Playing with friends Jon Karp and Lance Goettl, Hutchens carries two mid-range or "approach" discs.
He said players have different discs for different shots, depending on distance; whether they want it to draw, fade or go straight; and how they fling the fliers — traditional backhand style, sidearm or overhead.
"Some people like light discs; some people like heavy discs," Hutchens said.
Hutchens, Karp and Goettl, all college students, said they play "disc" or "frolf" (Frisbee golf) about four times a week and like it better than the traditional version of the game.
"There's a lot less stress," Goettl said.
Well, sometimes.
Disc players can get just as bothered by bad shots as those in spikes and collared shirts.
"I get frustrated when I'm not throwing good and when I'm not putting good," Hutchens said. "You're just trying to get it in that little basket, and all you do is keep inching closer and closer."
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